Improved feathering paddle-wheel



UrrED STATES PATENT. Olivieri.A f

W'I'LLmMgLJR.Munson, or RoonEsTEn, New Yonit, Assieson To 111M- Y SELF AND J. M. FRENCH e oo., or sans Pinion. y

IMPRovEDi FEATHERiNG PADDLE-WHEEL.

Specification forming part. 'of Letters Patent No. 27,499, dated March i3, 1860.

To all 'whom t may concern:

' Be itknown that I ,WILLIAn L. R. M A'rmsoN, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invente-da new and Improved Method of Feathering the PaddlelVheels v of- Vessels; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a fallend exact descrip- 'tion thereof, reference beingr had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specivlicat ion, in wh ich Figure 1 is 'a sido elevation ot the wheel. Fig. .JA is an elevation ol the governingavheel B, the paddle-wheel being indicated hy dotted lines; Figz isavertical section through two paddle-wheels, one representing a moditicalion oi the other. Fig. el is a diagram of the eccentric groove (l.

Similar lett-ersy rcl'er io like parts in all the figures.

ily invention consists in an improved method olf keeping` the floats or paddles in a vertical position while noting upon the water to secure their most eliicient operation. To eliect this I employ another wheel oi.' the same ornhoni. the sinne diameter oi thc paddlewheel placed hy the Side thereof, but having its axis eccentric to thntof the paddle-wheel, the .tiro being" connected together only7 by cranks from the paddles.

As shown in the drawings, A, Fig. 1, represents the front'side of the paddle-wheel, and litho eccentric or governing,r wheel'.

b lint-o the paddles, the ends of the .ixles appearing through the rini of the whe and e r: indicate the cranksl on the opposizfeyind, which take into the rim of the wheel li. This arrangement is more clearly shown in section The axle (l of the paddle-wheel passes through that of the wheel ll, (marked j' in the dra\vings,) whicliis inadelarreenongh for this purpose, the one being eccentric to 'the other, as seen in Fig. 2. The wheel turns freely on its axle and is connected t. the paddle-wheel hy the crnnliscc, which heing of corresponding length with thedistancc between the centers ol the two wheels allow them to rcvolre together, thc effect being' to keep the cranio4 in the saine direction oonstantly-riz., on :i line with the tivo venters 'lhnstlieeentcroi thegoverning-wheel being placed shove that of the paddlcavhoel the paddles must necessarily rcinni n in a 'vertical position throughout the Whole revolution, as

well when entering and leaving the water as when at the lowest point. Should the vessel be aiected by the undulations of the Waves, the paddles by remaining at right'angles with the deck or guards F, shown in Fig. l,aro still in the position to act niosteliiciently un der such circumstances. It will be seen that varying the positions of the centers from a perpendicular line will give a corresponding inclination to the paddles, which mayby this means be adjusted 'lo any angle that may be iou nd advantageous.

The cranks of the various paddles act unit edly, and thus but little strain falls on each in turning the wheel ll,n.nd ns it oiers no re* sistance init the trictionot' its axle hut-slight power is expe-.mind for that purpose.

l have represented in Figs. land-l a modi tication in the application of this principle, which consists in employing' a stationary groove ii instead of the eccentric wheel il. Ils relative position to theaxisof the paddlewheel is the saine and the cranks c work in the groove, being provided with pulleys or rollers 'i to reduce the friction. instead of rollers sin-ail blocks or segments may be fitted to the groove and attached to the :trui of the crank, The resistance of the Water serves to turn each paddle, so as to keep its lower edge down, or the lower side may be made heavier than the other to secure this result. The cranks hai-'ing greater liberty from sliding in the groove are not so certain to govern the position of the paddles, besides the friction is greater, and l prefer to employ the eccentric wheehas always operating' with certainty and less liable to get ont oi order.

I construct the paddles with the lowerodge elliptic and pointed in forni, which offers ad vantages in passing through ice, as the Wedgelike form of thc point would have the effect to break it, if not too solid, without injury to the paddles, while they would moet with less resistance from the water.

What. ielaini,aiid desire insecure hyLetters Patent, ism

The bearing', resting-arm, or siionlder,s\ib stantizillyns and lor the purpose ol .fnljnstingr the ocnterol. theeceentrio wi; nl, nsdcscrihed'.

WM.. i.. il. ,`^.\'l"i.=\SON. v iVitiie-sses:

J. Felsen,

J. Amis. 

